Fakhar Zaman happy to bat at number six or seven against New Zealand

Fakhar was open to the idea of giving rest to senior players and suggested experimenting with new players in the upcoming 15 matches leading up to the T20 World Cup

PHOTO: PCB

Fakhar Zaman expressed his readiness to take on any batting position in the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand, set to commence on January 12 in Auckland.

In a media interaction on Wednesday, the dynamic batsman highlighted the team management's confidence in his ability to impact matches regardless of his position in the order.

“I don't view it as a sacrifice. If the team management doesn't see me fitting into the opening position, it suggests they believe I can contribute to winning matches batting lower in the order. Given the competition for spots in the national team, I consider myself fortunate to secure a place in the playing XI, especially with the impressive performances from players like Babar, Rizwan, and Saim,” Fakhar said.

“If Babar or Rizwan come at one down, then I can come at two down. I will be happy to play at number six or seven even,” he added.

The likely batting order is set to feature Rizwan and Saim as the opening pair, with Babar following at one-down. Fakhar is expected to take the fourth position.

Looking ahead to the 2024 T20 World Cup, Fakhar suggested experimenting with new players in the upcoming 15 to 20 matches, allowing senior players to rest strategically and maintain a balanced team for the tournament.

“You can create a backup for Babar and Rizwan but it is difficult to take their place. Since we have 15 to 20 matches before the World Cup, we can try new players and senior players can be given rest in some matches,” Fakhar said.

Full squad: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Mohammad Rizwan (vice-captain and wicket-keeper) Aamir Jamal, Abbas Afridi, Azam Khan (wicket-keeper), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (wicket-keeper), Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Usama Mir and Zaman Khan

Full schedule:

1st T20 – 12 January 2024 at Eden Park, Auckland

2nd T20 – 14 January 2024 at Seddon Park, Hamilton

3rd T20 – 17 January 2024 at University Oval, Dunedin

4th T20 – 19 January 2024 at Hagley Oval, Christchurch

5th T20 – 21 January 2024 at Hagley Oval, Christchurch